Mother Dearest
by couldbesun
Summary: On his way to Terezi's hive, Karkat stumbles across a clearing. A clearing that is home to someone who has known Terezi since the beginning. OneShot, Pre-Sgrub, mentions of KarkatxTerezi, rated T for swearing and suggestive themes. Just hit 600 views! You guys are amazing.


**This is just a little oneshot I thought of while reading a fanfic, "Secrets From Your Best friend's Hospitalized Mom" by ghostyWolf. It's basically the same idea, but it's not Humanstuck. I guess it's an AU, because it's before the game, but Karkat and Terezi have met before.**

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**-z/S**

Karkat Vantas.

He had meant to go to her hive. Guess he miscalculated, right? He was nervous enough already, this would be the first time he's seen her hive. He was creeped out by the scalemates that had been hung in the trees, and he had ended up here.

What looked like a giant scale, holding an enormous egg and some sort of giant animal skull. Beneath the one with the skull was some sort of timer.

The timer read 00:04:13:06:12:08. So, four months, 13 days, six hours, 12 minutes, and eight, seven, six, five, four, three...

He sat down, thoroughly confused. What was this place? What was the timer counting down to? What in hell are the egg and skull from? What...

_Game._

He nearly fell over in shock. What the fuck was that? It was almost like someone was talking to him, in some weird, airy, sing-song voice that sounded like several people were talking at once. Somehow, he knew that it wasn't a person, and it wasn't out loud. He got up slowly.

"What the fuck are you...?"

_Egg._

'Egg?'

_Yes._

Well, now he knew he didn't have to talk out loud. He spoke in his mind. 'What do you mean you're an egg? This giant egg here?'

_Yes._

He walked closer to the egg. 'Why are you only saying one word at a time?'

_Come._

He almost blushed at that, his pubescent mind immediately jumping to something he knew it didn't mean.

_Closer._

He knew he should be suspicious, but he wasn't. He somehow knew he could trust this voice. This being that was talking to him through his thoughts.

He took 9 cautious steps forward. He was about 13 feet from the egg.

_Closer._

Gulping, he took a few more steps. 10 feet.

_Closer._

A few more. 7 feet.

_Closer._

4 feet.

_Closer._

He was so close he could reach out and touch the surface of the egg, if he wanted to.

_Karkat._

And he wanted to.

_Touch._

He extended an arm. His fingertips were mere centimeters away. His eyes were wide. He was anxious to find out what would happen. Who or whatever this being was, he knew it would not hurt him. He trusted the part of him that told him that. He wanted to know why this was here, so close to Terezi's hive. He wanted to know everything.

He wanted to know all the secrets this being carried within it's shell.

Fingertips merely brushed the surface.

He almost fell unconscious, but mere willpower held his hand to the shell.

_I am a she. I am a great creature. I have not been born. I taught the blind one how to see. I will awaken when time is gone. I am everything she is and knows. I am her unrealized thoughts._

_I am Pyralspite._

Both hands were planted firmly yet gently on the shell.

"I- I'm Karkat. Vantas, um, Karkat Vantas."

_I am well aware of that. I see you every night in her dreamscape. The golden tower and your sleeping figure are frequent guests in her unconscious mind._

"I don't know what you mean."

_Because you have not awaken._

"Oh..."

_Please talk in your mind. What you think and what you say are two different things. It confuses me._

'Sorry.'

_Apologies are words that are thought to "make up" for whatever one is apologizing for. They are meaningless to me._

'Oh, um... ok.'

_How long have you known her. I only know of fragments before her eyes were put to rest._

'I've known her for a very long time. I met her at a fair.'

_Open the memory to me._

'What?'

_Revisit the memory. I will see it as well._

'Ok...'

You think back to that day. It was a parade.

_**She looked lost. You had seen her before you had talked to her. She was getting pushed around by young trolls and their lusii. She was frantic, and without a lusus. You had assumed she had gotten separated. She was crying. After a little while, she sat down in the middle of the path and started sobbing into her hands. You had felt the need to talk to her, so you tugged on your lusus and walked over, him following behind you. The moment your shadow had fell upon her, she looked up, wiping her eyes, looking hopeful. Seeing that it was just another kid, her face fell.**_

"_**Stop crying. You're just making everything more loud, stupid fucking crybaby. Where's your lusus? Is it so stupid that it lost you? That's pathetic. Even my lusus is smarter than that. And smarter than you apparently. Who sits in the middle of a pathway? You'll get trampled. But maybe if you're stupid enough to sit here you deserve to be trampled anyway, minimize the planets idiots. If I were you, I-"**_

_**PAP! Your face stung. All you had seen was her run off after that. You blushed. You had never met a girl that was brave enough to slap you instead of cry after you started ranting. You had to find her again. You run in the direction you saw her go, your lusus hobbling behind you. You finally find her by a fountain, scooping out change. She was still crying and starting to attract a crowd. Someone stepped forward and asked her what in hell she thought she was doing.**_

"_**I'm trying to get enough money to call my escort! So stop bugging me!"**_

_**The man looked taken aback. He was probably someone who was helping with the parade. You walk over to her. She makes a face, and pulls back her arm again.**_

_**You delve your hand into the fountain, and start pulling out coins. She pauses, watching you. Then she dips her hand back in and resumes her scooping. You have almost enough, when a man walks up to her and taps her on the shoulder. She turns, and relaxes.**_

"_**Please don't run off on me like that, Ms. Pyrope."**_

_**She faces you, and dumps the money into your hands. "I don't need it now, but you should have it because you helped. I'm Terezi."**_

_**You accept the change and pap her face. "I'm Karkat. You can slap really well. It hurt a lot."**_

_**She kisses your cheek and turns to leave with the man. She doesn't see you blush, and you hide your face so other people don't see. "Bye Karkat!" she calls, without turning around.**_

_**You watch her leave, and call back. "Bye."**_

You're barely aware of the fact that you're blushing.

_Interesting._

'What do you mean by that?'

_I've never seen someone so devoted to her. How long have you loved her._

Your blush darkens. You don't know the word she used, but you have a feeling it's something to do with romance. You have no idea how you know that, however. 'Loved? What is that?'

_Pardon me. I keep forgetting that you have a different romance system here. I guess the closest thing would be pity._

You sputter, your entire face a bright red. Your blush has spread to your ears and neck. You can almost feel her smirking. 'I- I don't. She's just my friend.'

_Ah. So it is unrealized. It is so with her as well._

'What the fuck do you mean? Are you saying we're both red for each other, but we don't know it?! My god, you couldn't be more wrong!'

_You seem to be very touchy on this subject. Why do you think that is._

'Because it's a stupid subject and there is NO WAY we will ever be matesprits! If anything, we'll be moirails! Much more pale. No red here. No way.'

_Don't be silly. There is most certainly red here. It is all upon your face._

You glare, your blush getting even darker. 'You know what I meant. I'm- I'm not- _red_ for Terezi.' But you can't help thinking about how it would be if you were. If she were red for you, too... How amazing that matespritship would be...

_Literally speaking, you are red for her. You were thinking about her, and now your face is red._

'That's different. It's not like I turn black if I hate someone.'

_That is very true. But I can assure you that you "pity" her. I can see your mind, Karkat. Just like I can see hers. Granted, I can only see what you are thinking right now, and any subconscious thoughts that may accompany them. Because I have been connected to her for so long, I know much more._

'Then could you answer some questions for me?'

_I will do my best. For the sake of common decency, I will decide whether or not to answer some._

'Alright, then. Why does she hang her fucking dragon plushies?'

_It is their punishment for defying the law. She enjoys role-playing as a Legislacerator._

You grimace. 'That's a little weird.'

_I'm sure you have your strange interests as well. Terezi's mind has told me that you enjoy movies of the romantic comedy genre._

You blush a little. 'Yeah. Why does she like law so much?'

_Because of her ancestor. Legislacerator Redglare was the greatest Legislacerator of her time. She wishes to be like her ancestor, so she reads books and role-plays. It's in her blood._

That made sense, even if you didn't believe in the whole ancestor thing anyway. It was fine if she did, it was almost... cute. 'Does she do anything in her free time except chat, read, and roleplay?'

_For the sake of common decency, I will only say that she occasionally watches your movies._

Both parts of that statement made you blush. Trying to fight off the image of her face twisted in pleasure, you imagine her watching your movies. Laughing and crying like you do. Then you imagine watching them together. Laying on the couch together, her leaning on you. Her nose constantly working to piece together the images on screen. That perfect moment, when a really romantic moment came on, and she would look up at you, and you would slowly lean together, until your lips were almost touching... and...

_Anything else._

You snap from your fantasy with a wild blush. 'Yeah. Um... does she really... have... uh, red feelings for me?'

You can almost feel the smile.

_She most certainly does. Have you realized your feelings for her._

You hesitate. The smile feeling grows.

_Interesting._

You realize something. 'What are you anyway? How do you know so much about Terezi?'

_Oh, Karkat. I thought you would realize by now._

'What?'

_I am her lusus. Dragon-Mom, as referred to by her friends. I am her unborn caregiver._

Your eyes widen. An image floats into your head, one that you know she put there.

A white dragon, floating in a teal tinted fluid. She is curled up into a fetal position. Her eyes open. Red, like your blood and Terezi's eyes. She is blind.

_I have begun to awaken. I will see you when the game begins._

'What game?'

_You will find out soon enough. Now, if you will kindly take your hands off of my shell, it seems that we have a guest._

You remove one hand. You can feel the connection shrink. You hear footsteps behind you. You slowly lift your other hand. Just before the last finger is lifted, you hear her voice, much more faint.

_Bye, Karkat._

Just like your memory.

'Bye.'

You lift your last finger and step back, sitting on the forest floor just before Terezi walks into the clearing.

"Karkat? Is that you? I knew I smelled cherry... I thought it was a long shot, but here you are!"

"Yeah, it's me." You have your back to her, but you're sure she can smell your blush.

"What are you doing here? My hive is south a little ways."

"I was... just talking to someone."

"Who? I don't smell anyone else."

"Just... someone."

"Who? Karkat, tell me!"

You turn to face her. She's watching you with furrowed eyebrows and crossed arms.

You smile.

"Just somebody who evidently knows you very well."


End file.
